Movies Anywhere Launches Tonight At 9 PM PT!

[wolfpackTri]

http://variety.com/2017/digital/news...ng-1202587915/

Five of the six major Hollywood studios have joined forces to make digital movie collecting easier than ever.

Movies Anywhere, a free app and website digital locker service, launches tonight at 9 p.m. PT, backed by four top digital retailers and content from Walt Disney (including Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox Film, Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment — a combined library of more than 7,300 digital movies.

Movies can be redeemed through digital retailers Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes and Vudu (owned by Walmart). Movies Anywhere is a Disney-owned entity that operates independently with input from an advisory committee with members from each of the participating studios, according to a Disney spokesperson.

[Zorkel567]

Yeah, it launched last night. We've all been talking about it in the other thread

[cinemaphile]

Yeah, it already launched in the wee hours of this morning

[xbs2034]

Though the other launch has been very glitchy.

I'm guessing the 9pm launch (which coincides with my Friday prediction as that's midnight East Coast time) is chosen as the official launch as the service needed some time to get fully up and running, and you can view last night as a beta or soft launch.

[nano351]

No the article is about the launch last night. It was published October 11th

[wolfpackTri]

Originally Posted by nano351

No the article is about the launch last night. It was published October 11th

My apologies! I was so excited about this I didn't look at the time stamp. I just linked my iTunes and VUDU libraries together. This is amazing!

[worldchmps]

Which version of each Aliens movie is preferable if you could only own one and why?

[jrod8]

ALIEN - Theatrical Version. Ridley himself is on record as this being his preferred and Fox essentially making him make a so-called "Director's Cut" for the re-release.

ALIENS - Special Edition. So much more story and character, and it still moves incredibly fast despite its significantly longer length.

ALIEN3 - doesn't really matter, the alt version is more of an experiment trying to get closer to the Fincher's assembly cut before he bailed on the film. The theatrical actually moves better IMO.

ALIEN RESURRECTION - if there are two editions, I honestly don't remember the difference between them as I haven't watched this one in years. Last time I did it didn't hold up that well IMO.

I'll also say that I've been buying them on iTunes because I'm hopeful that Fox will release 4K of them and I'll get the upgrades thru Apple which wouldn't be the case if I bought on Vudu PLUS, perhaps more importantly, iTunes bundles each cut together under its respective title, closer to if you were buying the actual disc. It has 99% of the special features from the Anthology set as well which is awesome. Movies Anywhere transfers only the theatrical cuts, but unless you're anti-iTunes I'd recommend getting them there for all the above mentioned benefits. Note I've not looked at the actual MA page to see if I can watch both cuts on it rather than on Vudu directly but did confirm which are showing up on Vudu and it's Theatrical Cuts only.

Originally Posted by worldchmps

Which version of each Aliens movie is preferable if you could only own one and why?

[p w]

Originally Posted by jrod8

ALIEN - Theatrical Version. Ridley himself is on record as this being his preferred and Fox essentially making him make a so-called "Director's Cut" for the re-release.

ALIENS - Special Edition. So much more story and character, and it still moves incredibly fast despite its significantly longer length.

ALIEN3 - doesn't really matter, the alt version is more of an experiment trying to get closer to the Fincher's assembly cut before he bailed on the film. The theatrical actually moves better IMO.

ALIEN RESURRECTION - if there are two editions, I honestly don't remember the difference between them as I haven't watched this one in years. Last time I did it didn't hold up that well IMO.

good summary. when i put my aliens collection together i went all theatrical cuts but for aliens which is the special edition version (i didnt even bother to buy the theatrical cut of aliens). the aliens longer cut is the better film. the other cuts of alien films, and i've seen them, all pretty much underwhelmed or didn't add anything worthwhile.

[IndyMLVC]

Originally Posted by jrod8

I'll also say that I've been buying them on iTunes because I'm hopeful that Fox will release 4K of them and I'll get the upgrades thru Apple which wouldn't be the case if I bought on Vudu

But, do note that if this happens, you won't get 4k on MA.

[JMDiaz718]

Originally Posted by jrod8

ALIEN - Theatrical Version. Ridley himself is on record as this being his preferred and Fox essentially making him make a so-called "Director's Cut" for the re-release.

ALIENS - Special Edition. So much more story and character, and it still moves incredibly fast despite its significantly longer length.

ALIEN3 - doesn't really matter, the alt version is more of an experiment trying to get closer to the Fincher's assembly cut before he bailed on the film. The theatrical actually moves better IMO.

ALIEN RESURRECTION - if there are two editions, I honestly don't remember the difference between them as I haven't watched this one in years. Last time I did it didn't hold up that well IMO.

ALIEN - For me, Director's Cut flows a little better, with some little things that were cut. Nice to see the cocoon scene, though they should have put it in, after Parker & Lambert's deaths. It's odd for Ripley to stop and investigate, AFTER she's set off the destruct system. I also liked the alien dangling in the chains shot and Lambert attacking Ripley. I still love the theatrical though, it's the one I saw in the theater first. I also saw the Director's Cut, on a huge screen in a digital presentation, it hasn't aged!

ALIENS - I love the theatrical version, but the special edition has awesome new footage. Newt's family, the compound before the aliens offed everyone, the auto sentry guns and Ripley's daughter are my favorites.

ALIEN 3 - No matter which version you watch, it's just depressing from beginning to end. I do like the inserted footage. Charles Dance outside the prison, on the beach and finding Ripley, is like artwork. It's beautiful to watch. The one guy worshipping the alien is odd, but kinda okay.

ALIEN RESURRECTION - This one was easily my least favorite. The special edition ends with

[Show spoiler]the ship crash landing on earth, destroying the infestation onboard, and most of Paris, if I remember correctly!

[Undeadcow]

Originally Posted by IndyMLVC

But, do note that if this happens, you won't get 4k on MA.

Curiously do Fox 4K rights in iTunes not populate to Movies Anywhere? Im not as familiar with iTunes, is the issue that no one else has UHD for these titles but if added later they would be upgraded then?

[premstuff]

Originally Posted by Undeadcow

Curiously do Fox 4K rights in iTunes not populate to Movies Anywhere? Im not as familiar with iTunes, is the issue that no one else has UHD for these titles but if added later they would be upgraded then?

4K rights do populate but you're buying HD rights on Itunes (For Aliens 1-4) which means you'll always have HD rights on MA. Itunes offers you 4k playback on their end for buying the title with them.

Originally Posted by jrod8

I'll also say that I've been buying them on iTunes...Movies Anywhere transfers only the theatrical cuts, but unless you're anti-iTunes I'd recommend getting them there for all the above mentioned benefits. Note I've not looked at the actual MA page to see if I can watch both cuts on it rather than on Vudu directly but did confirm which are showing up on Vudu and it's Theatrical Cuts only.

Just checked. MA lets you playback the SE versions too, so if you choose Vudu you can go to MA to play the alternate cuts.

[jrod8]

Cool, good to know at least MA has it covered w/ both versions no matter where you purchase. That's probably one of my biggest knocks on Vudu is that they don't just bundle alternate versions together by default...

Originally Posted by premstuff

4K rights do populate but you're buying HD rights on Itunes (For Aliens 1-4) which means you'll always have HD rights on MA. Itunes offers you 4k playback on their end for buying the title with them.



Just checked. MA lets you playback the SE versions too, so if you choose Vudu you can go to MA to play the alternate cuts.

[Undeadcow]

Originally Posted by premstuff

4K rights do populate but you're buying HD rights on Itunes (For Aliens 1-4) which means you'll always have HD rights on MA. Itunes offers you 4k playback on their end for buying the title with them.

Thank you. I have heard different things - some have said that buying HD in iTunes gives you UHD access that populates through MA (giving you UHD on other platforms); but also contrary to that, what is said here, I have heard before that Apple UHD upgrades are only on Apple devices. Does this vary by studio or timeframe? Is there a 'final word' on if Apple purchases populate as UHD to other vendors through MA? Thank you in advance to anyone for clarification.

[jrod8]

I, too, was under the impression that Apple would only upgrade purchases made through iTunes but had (perhaps incorrectly) assumed that they would then repopulate MA w/ UHD rights, making iTunes the only way to "future proof" your purchases. I'm sure it would be too good to be true, but if anyone has any written statement from Apple or otherwise that would be greatly appreciated to clarify this. I believe I've only seen them confirm that only iTunes purchases are upgraded to 4K when available (which I can also confirm, having noted that I don't have 4K rights to films I got through Vudu's m2d program...

Originally Posted by Undeadcow

Thank you. I have heard different things - some have said that buying HD in iTunes gives you UHD access that populates through MA giving you UHD on other platforms; and what is said here I have heard before that Apple UHD upgrades are only on Apple devices. Does this vary by studio or timeframe? Is there a 'final word' on if Apple purchases populate as UHD to other vendors through MA? Thank you in advance to anyone for clarification.

[ChristopherRobin]

Originally Posted by Undeadcow

Thank you. I have heard different things - some have said that buying HD in iTunes gives you UHD access that populates through MA (giving you UHD on other platforms); but also contrary to that, what is said here, I have heard before that Apple UHD upgrades are only on Apple devices. Does this vary by studio or timeframe? Is there a 'final word' on if Apple purchases populate as UHD to other vendors through MA? Thank you in advance to anyone for clarification.

it all depends on when you purchase/redeem in itunes it and whether or not you already have the movie in MA.

For example, I redeemed Despicable Me 3, The Great Wall, and The Mummy (2017) in itunes (not owning any of these movies previously). They all redeemed as 4K in MA because iTunes had it in 4K. Other members who redeemed before these movies went 4K only received HD in MA.

If I try to re-purchase a movie in iTunes to get 4K rights (by gifting to myself), I have yet for any of these to populate MA in 4K.

[jrod8]

Ahhhh I see, very helpful to know. Wonder if you disconnect MA and reconnect if iTunes will repopulate MA w/ 4K once available?

Originally Posted by ChristopherRobin

it all depends on when you purchase/redeem in itunes it and whether or not you already have the movie in MA.

For example, I redeemed Despicable Me 3, The Great Wall, and The Mummy (2017) in itunes (not owning any of these movies previously). They all redeemed as 4K in MA because iTunes had it in 4K. Other members who redeemed before these movies went 4K only received HD in MA.

If I try to re-purchase a movie in iTunes to get 4K rights (by gifting to myself), I have yet for any of these to populate MA in 4K.

[Fiffy]

Originally Posted by jrod8

Ahhhh I see, very helpful to know. Wonder if you disconnect MA and reconnect if iTunes will repopulate MA w/ 4K once available?

Unfortunately not. Currently the 4K entitlement is only transferred to MA if you buy the movie or redeem a code from a disc release when the movie is already available in 4K on iTunes. If Apple upgrades an existing HD movie in your library to 4K this is not transferred to MA.